Social media Discursive essay
There is much discussion over the explosion in popularity of social media in recent years and whether or not it has positive effect on society.
So, what is social media? According to Wikipedia it is “the social interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information, ideas and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks”1 Do they have any benefits? On a personal note, I find social networking sites have huge benefits with respect to staying in touch with my friends and family back at home (as I study approximately three hundred and twenty four miles away from them). As distance can cause communication difficulties social media provides a variety of free, unique ways to lift this limiting barrier. In the passing of recent years, there has undoubtedly been hugely significant rise in the popularity of social media, particularly in teens. It is in fact estimated that the social networking site “Facebook” increased from around one million monthly active users in 2004 to around 1.23 billion monthly active users by the end of 2013.2 Although these statistics are good for as far as business is concerned, many people are concerned about whether this new technological age is a good thing overall.
Being a teen personally, I can admit to finding myself easily distracted by social media on a regular basis. However after recently moving from such a rural and isolated place as Orkney to the complete contrast of an urban city like Glasgow, I have come to notice a convincing difference in each of the societies. Growing up in a small place meant that the community was much more united as a whole, resulting in a much more connected place without the likes of social media. It seems that adolescents from Orkney often acquire more confidence with their social skills in person as less time is spent on these social networks and more around people at community activities and events. Glasgow, in comparison, has much less of a communal atmosphere which in
So, what is social media? According to Wikipedia it is “the social interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information, ideas and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks”1 Do they have any benefits? On a personal note, I find social networking sites have huge benefits with respect to staying in touch with my friends and family back at home (as I study approximately three hundred and twenty four miles away from them). As distance can cause communication difficulties social media provides a variety of free, unique ways to lift this limiting barrier. In the passing of recent years, there has undoubtedly been hugely significant rise in the popularity of social media, particularly in teens. It is in fact estimated that the social networking site “Facebook” increased from around one million monthly active users in 2004 to around 1.23 billion monthly active users by the end of 2013.2 Although these statistics are good for as far as business is concerned, many people are concerned about whether this new technological age is a good thing overall.
Being a teen personally, I can admit to finding myself easily distracted by social media on a regular basis. However after recently moving from such a rural and isolated place as Orkney to the complete contrast of an urban city like Glasgow, I have come to notice a convincing difference in each of the societies. Growing up in a small place meant that the community was much more united as a whole, resulting in a much more connected place without the likes of social media. It seems that adolescents from Orkney often acquire more confidence with their social skills in person as less time is spent on these social networks and more around people at community activities and events. Glasgow, in comparison, has much less of a communal atmosphere which in